Invalid appliance.



' No. 885,307. PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

G. H. 'WHALEY.

INVALID APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED MAR; 30. 1907.

M ATTORNEY 1H: NORM: PETERS ca.. WASMINUTOI" n c UNITED sTArns PA TFiNTOFFIOE.

TO GEORGE H.

TRAXEL, OF MASON COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

INVALID APPLIANCE Application filed March 30,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WVHALEY, citizen of the United States,residing at Maysville, in the county of Mason and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and l useful Im rovements in InvalidAppliances, j

of which t e following is a specification.

My invention relates to invalid and it contemplates the provision of asimple and safe apparatus through the medium of which an invalid may beeasily and conveniently lifted from the bed on which he is rest- 'ingwithout subjecting the invalid to shock or discomfort, and with which aninvalid may be readily supported in a sitting posture when necessitydemands.

To the attainment of the foregoing objects, the invention consists inthe peculiar con struction, novel combination and adaptation of artshereinafter described and particular y pointed out in the claimsappended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form art hereof: Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating the apparatus constituting the bestembodiment of m invention known to me as properly arran ed relative to abedstead. F 2 is a detail side elevation illustrating the head portionof the invalid support asadjustably fixed in an inclined position. Fig.3 is an enlarged, detail section illustrating the means for adjustingand ad justably fixing the adjustable side bar of the invalid support.Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the connections betweenthe body portion and the head portion of the invalid support. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of said connection.

Similar numerals designate corresponding arts in all of the views of thedrawings, reerring to which:

1 is a bedstead of the ordinary or any other construction suitable tothe practical use of my invention, and 2 is the portable frame of mynovel apparatus. The said portable frame is preferably, though notessentially, of tripod form, and is designed to be positioned asillustrated relative to the bedstead 1. On one leg of the frame 2 ismounted a wind.- lass 3, and to the drum of said windlass is connected acable 4 which is arranged in the ordinary or any other suitable mannerrelative to a block 5 connected to the apex of the frame 2, and a secondand vertically movable appliances;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908. 1907. Serial No. 365,461.

[ block 6 having a hook 7, whereby it will be manifest that when thedrum of the Windlass 3 is turned in one direction the block 6 will beraised, while when said drum is turned in the op )osite direction theblock 6 will be permitted to move d .)wnwar l.

8 is the frame of the invalid support comprised in the apparatus, and 9is the flexible portion of said support; the said flexible portion beingpreferably of heavy canvas or analogous material and being provided withan opening 10 through which an invalid may use a vessel after theinvalid-support is raised from the bed as hereinafter pointed out indetail. The invalid-support frame 8 is preferably of metal and comprisesside bars 11 and 12 connected together as presently described, end bars13 and 14 fixed to and ex tending at right angles to said side bars andhaving threaded portions 15, Fig. 3, side bars 16 and 17 connectedtogether as presently set forth and having hollow T-heads 18 looselyreceiving the end bars 13 and 14k and also having flanges 19, Fig. 3, atthe inner ends of said Theads, nuts 20 mounted on and engaging thethreaded portions 15 of the end bars 13 and 1st and having recesses 21in their outer sides receiving the flanged ends 19 of the T-heads l8,and threaded collars 22 engaging threads in said recesses and serving toretain the flanged ends 19 of the T-heads in the recesses withoutinterfering with free rotation of the nuts 20 about the end bars 13 and14. The flexible portion 9 of the invalid-support is detachablyconnected to the frame 8 through the medium of buttons 23 andcomplementary button-holes 24c or other suitable means, and hence itwill be apparent that when necessary the flexible portion 9 may bereadily removed from the frame 8 to be laundered and may then be asreadily replaced and secured upon the said frame. when it is desired toremove the flexible portion 9 as stated, the nuts 20 are turned inwardon the end bars 1.3 and 14 to move the side bars 16 and 17 inward and inthat way slacken said flexible portion and render easy the detachment ofthe same, while after the flexible portion 9 is replaced on and fastenedto the frame 8, the nuts 20 are turned out- Ward on the end bars 13 and14 so as to move the side bars 16 and 17 outward and thereby render theflexible portion 9 as taut as desired. It will also be apparent thatwhen the rotation of the nuts 20 in the proper direction, there is noliability of the said side bars being permitted to casually move inwardand slacken the flexible portion 9.

At its corners the frame 8 of the invalidsupport is provided with rings25, and to these rings are connected cables 26 which are engaged withthe hoo i 7 on block 6, whereby it will be manifest that when the drumof the Windlass 3 is turned in the-proper direction, the invalid-supportwith the invalid thereon may be lifted from the bed to permit of theinvalid using a vessel or to admit of the bed clothing beingconveniently changed, and this with but a minimum amount of effort onthe part of the attendant operating the apparatus.

In order that the head portion of the invalid-support may be adjustablyfixed at various angles of inclination to hold an invalid in a sittingposture, I prefer to connect the side bar 11 to the side bar 12, and theside bar 16 to the side bar 17 through the medium of the connections 30.These connections 30 are identical in construction, and therefore adetailed description of the one shown in Figs. 4 and 5 will suffice toimpart a definite understanding of both. The said connection, Figs. 4and 5, comprises disks 31 fixed to the side bars and having transverseapertures 32 adapted to be registerec a central pivot bolt 33 connectingthe disks 31 together, a lever Bet-pivoted to lugs 35 on the bolt 33 andarranged to swing outward and inward, and a fastening pin 36 pivoted toand susceptible of adjustment on the lever 34 and designed to be placedin registered apertures of the disks 31 to adjustably fix the said diskswith respect to each other. It will be seen that by reason of theconnection of lever 34 to bolt 33 and the connection of fastening pin 36to said lever 34, the pin 36 may be drawn outward out of engagement withthe aperture in the inner disk 31, and then when said inner disk 31 isadjusted to place another aperture thereof in register with the aperture32 in the outer disk the pin 36 may be replaced in the position shown toadjustably fix the disks together and the head section of theinvalid-support at the angle of inclination desired. The permanentconnection of the fastening pin 36 to the disks in the man ner describedis obviously advantageous since it precludes loss or misplacement ofsaid fastening pin and assures the same always being in position of theinner disk that is registered with the single aperture in the outerdisk.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the head portion of theinvalid-support may be expeditiously and easily fixed at various anglesof inclination to the body portion thereof as the needs of the invalidresting on to enter the aperture the support demand; also, that theadjustable fixture of the head portion is effected in such. manner thatthere is no liability whatsoever of the head portion of the supportslipping while in use, which is an important desideratum. It will befurther apparent from the foregoing that the invalid-support may beraised and lowered in the manner before described irrespective ofwhether the head portion of the support rests in alinement with the bodyportion thereof or at an angle of inclination to said body portion.

1 Having described my invention, what I l claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting framecomposed of side and end members, the side members being each providedwith apertured disks that are pivoted together to form relativelyadjustable head and body sections, a locking pin having a pivotalconnection with the pivot of said disks and ada ted to be engaged withthe apertures in saic disks to lock the head and body sections in thedesired adjusted position, means for adjusting said side memberslaterally, and means for raising and lowering said supporting frame inits entirety, or the head section only.

2. In an apparatus of the character ,described, a supporting frameprovided with a flexible cover and consisting of side and end membersforming head and body sections,

I apertured disks carried by the ends of the head and body members andhaving a pivotal connection whereby the head section may be adjustedrelatively to the body section, a locking pin pivotally attached to thepivotal. connection between said disks and serving to retain saidsections in their adjusted positions, means carried by the end 1 membersof the supporting frame for adjusting the side members laterally, andmeans for raising and lowering said supporting frame in its entirety orthe head section thereof only.

3. In an apparatus for lifting invalids, an invalid-support having aflexible portion, and a frame carrying the flexible portion and made upof a body portion, a head portion,

- and connections intermediate the side bars of the body and headportions; the said connections respectively comprising a disk having acircular series of transverse apertures, a disk 1 arranged againstone'side of the first mentioned disk and having a transverse aperturewith which the apertures of said first mentioned disk are adapted to beregistered, a

1 central bolt connecting the disks, a lever ivj oted to lugs on thebolt and arrange to 1 swing outward and inward thereon, and a fasteningpin pivoted to and movable with the lever and arranged to be placed inregisl tered apertures of the disks.

4. In an apparatus for lifting invalids, an

invalid-support having a flexible portion, and a frame detachablyconnected to and carrying the flexible portion and made up of a sidebar, end bars fixed to and extending at right angles from the side barand having threaded portions, a side bar adjustable laterally on the endbars, and nuts mounted on and engaging the threads of the end bars andconnected to and movable with the laterally adjustable side bar. 1 o Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. WHALEY. Witnesses:

A. D COLE, GEO. H. TRAXEL.

